Fresh off an appearance in the NBA Finals, the Spurs have made another addition to their frontcourt, using the 20th overall pick in the draft to select center Jayden Quaintance.

Quaintance represents something of a question mark entering his pro career, since he was limited to just 28 total appearances across two college seasons with Arizona State and Kentucky due to health issues.

Quaintance, who will turn 19 next month, looked excellent for the Sun Devils as a freshman in 2024/25, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.5 assists in 29.5 minutes per game while displaying impressive mobility for a 6’10” player. However, in February 2025, he suffered a major right knee injury, tearing his ACL and meniscus.

After undergoing surgery, he made a quick recovery and was able to make his Wildcats debut on December 20. But complications related to his knee injury sidelined him again after just four appearances for Kentucky. He didn’t suit up for the team after January 7, and reporting in recent weeks indicated that some NBA teams were wary about that knee.

If Quaintance can get back to 100% health and regains the athleticism he showed as a freshman, he has the tools to become a rim-running and rim-protecting center at the NBA level.

More to come…